Counting the Days
by Nox Caligo
Summary: Just as everything was coming together between Gajeel and Levy, Levy is snatched away by a dark guild who is in search for highly destructive magic within an ancient tomb. Gajeel must get her back...but at what cost? GajeelxLevy
1. The Beginning

Author's Notes: Hi there! This is another GajeelxLevy (Gale) fic from me. If you're familiar with my other fics, I have to warn you that this one isn't nearly as sexy or happy. It's going to be a long fic, full of sadness, angst, drama, friendship, romance, adventure, and darker stuff. I'll post it chapter by chapter (hopefully). Maybe there'll be sexy stuff? I don't know at this point. So hold on tight! It's going to a bumpy ride! And hopefully you don't get motionsick

If you feel like it, go follow me on tumblr at bunny-assassin (my icon is a pix of a pinkish plant currently). I don't post my fics on there, but whatever.

Reviews welcome but no hate mail please. I will disregard it entirely and continue on my merry way. A special thanks to lovedestructive for editing everything and helping me bounce ideas, and thanks to Rusky-Boz and Egglo for converting me to this ship (even if they don't know me)

Typical warnings: There's going to be language that I'm sure of. There's also going to be more adult situations that will become evident in the next chapter (I don't want to give anything away). There _might_ be sexy stuff later (I haven't decided yet). So if you're uncomfortable with an M rating, you shouldn't be reading this. As with all fanfiction, I don't own the characters, Fairy Tail, etc. Please enjoy =) Another note, within the story, _italic sentences_ are what someone's thinking, but I'm sure you all could figure that out.

Edit: Sorry if you all are getting spammed by chapter changes. I couldn't get the format right .

* * *

Gajeel stumbled into Magnolia in the later part of the morning. He dragged his satchel behind him along the road. His feet felt like two cinderblocks and his stomach was more empty than it had ever been; he hadn't eaten in the past twenty four hours and that included metal.

_What I wouldn't do for a steak…_

Pantherlily walked beside him, stoic as always, but even he was thinking about how nice a good meal sounded after such a mission. It shouldn't have been as difficult as it was; their client was tired of a local gang taking all the earnings from his shop, so Gajeel was to rough them up and make sure they wouldn't harass the client again. The numbers that their client gave them with regards to how many gang members there had been was a great underestimate of the number that had actually been in the warehouse waiting to ambush Gajeel. Luckily for Gajeel, there hadn't been any mages amongst their ranks, so a kick and punch to each one had been enough to get the job done. Pantherlily could see a scab forming on Gajeel's chin where it had made contact with a knife (one which later got eaten). But neither could complain; no mages and good pay made both of them more than content.

As they made their way closer to the guild, Pantherlily noted that the town looked…different. Streamers hung across the span from house to house, lights were trailed along the gutters of houses, and he saw many food carts beginning to set themselves up on side streets. People walked along, chatting excitedly about something, but Pantherlily had no idea what.

"Gajeel," he said, gazing up at the Iron Dragon Slayer, "what is with all the decorations?"

Gajeel gazed around, noticing the decorations for the first time. He shrugged and continued walking. The building was within sight. "I have no idea."

Roughly Gajeel shoved open the doors to Fairy Tail and strode inside with Pantherlily right behind him. A chorus of "oh Gajeel is back!" rose as he passed by table after table to get to Mirajane at the bar. She was behind it, talking animatedly with what appeared to be Lucy and Natsu. From his back pocket he produced the job posting he had taken from the board and slammed it down on the bar, startling Lucy to the point she would have fallen off the stool if Natsu hadn't caught her.

"Done," was all he said to Mirajane as he sat down.

She smiled one of her pleasant smiles and picked the paper off the counter, studying it. "Good work Gajeel. I'll put it on the board with all the other completed ones." She almost sounded like a mother pinning doodles from her child's art class on the refrigerator.

"Do you think we could get some food?" Gajeel grumbled.

"Of course. I'll be right back."

As Mirajane trotted off to get food, Pantherlily hoped up onto the counter to sit down. He turned his attention to Natsu and Lucy. "Do either of you know why the town is so decorated?"

Natsu broke out smiling a wide grin. "Because tonight is Fantasia!"

"Fantasia?" the Exceed echoed.

"The hell is that?" Gajeel grumbled. Parties were certainly not his thing.

Lucy shoved the excited Natsu back on the stool. "It's a festival celebrating the guild," she explained. "We show the rest of Magnolia what our magic is like by doing some games and putting on a large parade display. You would have been asked to participate, but you were off on a mission."

Pantherlily perked up. "That sounds interesting."

"Sounds dumb to me," Gajeel grumbled.

Mirajane had come back with two plates, one piled high with kiwi for Pantherlily, the other piled high with meat for Gajeel. "It's a fun time of year," Mirajane said as she put down the plates, adding a "don't eat the fork" to Gajeel.

"Mine is the best part of the parade!" Natsu declared, his fists glowing with fire.

"Everyone puts on a good show," Lucy sighed. "You should really watch it."

Gajeel, chewing his way through meat choked out, "No."

Mirajane leaned across the counter, the smile never slipping from her face. "You're going to disappoint someone if you don't go. She was going to ask you to go with her."

He looked up briefly from his plate, pierced eyebrow raised. "Oh? And who-"

"Oh, Gajeel! You're back!" came an upbeat voice from behind him.

Coming through the doorway was one of Fairy Tail's female mages, Levy McGarden. She had her hair tied back in an orange bandana and a large grin on her face. Levy wore a light orange sundress with a small cream jacket over it and a pair of strappy sandals. She had a small trot in her step as she approached, one that would have made the Dragon Slayer smiled if it wouldn't have been seen by the rest of the guild. Mirajane smiled blissfully has Levy came up and gave Gajeel a quick hug from behind. It amused her to see the normally shy bookworm warming up to Gajeel, and it amused her even more that Gajeel was getting softer because of Levy.

"How'd it go?" she asked, her eyes roaming across his features looking for bruising and cuts. He shrugged her off casually.

"They were non mages that had to be roughed up. It was easy."

"That's good to hear."

"Levy," Mirajane began, "Gajeel said that he didn't know what Fantasia was. Maybe you should-"

Levy grabbed his shoulder and spun him back around mid-bite to look at her. "You don't know?! How have you been in this guild this long and not know?"

He shrugged. Any normal retort he would have given anyone else died on his lips.

"Y-You should go with me t-then!" Levy stuttered out. Lucy had to suppress a chuckle, as did Mirajane. Natsu sat there, his mind clouded with how he was going to put on his fire display.

"Eh?"

"It'll be fun!" she promised him. "There'll be a lot to eat, and a lot of decorations to see! And the parade is really cool!"

Gajeel rolled his eyes. "All that stuff amuses you?"

"Aw, come on Gajeel," she half-way whined.

Everyone was eyeing Gajeel, including Pantherlily, waiting for Gajeel's reply. His cheeks flushed a small shade of pink. She was so excited…it seemed out of the question to tell that pouty face with those large baby-like eyes no. "Fine, fine!" he growled. "There's no need to whine and pout about it."

Her smile got almost impossibly larger. "Really? Cool! I'll meet up with you after I get done with Lucy." She then turned to address the celestial mage. "7:30pm right?"

The blonde nodded. "Yeah. The parade starts at 8:00pm, so that should give you plenty of time to find a spot."

Levy spun around to face Gajeel again. She was grinning like an idiot, and he found it hard not to give a small smile too. "It's a date then," he said with sudden boldness.

The unexpected boldness of the statement turned Levy's face red. All she could do was nod dumbly and mumble to meet him out in front of the guild that night. After saying quick goodbyes she quickly shuffled out the door without looking back.

"Looks like you have a date!" Natsu chuckled.

Gajeel whirled around to face him, his mouth stuffed with meat. "At least I know when I've been asked on one!" he growled.

Natsu looked at him blankly. Lucy shot the pink haired Dragon Slayer a glare. Lucy had been putting the moves on Natsu for years now and it seemed like Natsu had feelings for her too, but he was so airheaded about feelings and romance that he had no idea that the multiple times that Lucy had invited him to dinner and out shopping were actually supposed to be dates.

"I don't-"

"Of course you don't!" Gajeel sneered.

While Natsu sat there in confusion under Lucy's less than impressed glare, Gajeel scarfed down the rest of his food and plucked the last kiwi off of Pantherlily's plate, much to the cat's horror. "I'm off to catch some z's," he announced.

He swung around off the stool and headed towards the door. Pantherlily gave a nod to the other three and trotted after his partner.

* * *

Levy had walked out of Fairy Tail in a hurry.

_Oh my god…_

Her mind in a fuzzy mess. She had just asked Gajeel out on a date and he had said yes! She hadn't gotten too far before she bumped right into someone in her haste. Before her, grinning was her friend and fellow teammate Cana. She was wearing capris and a bikini top and not surprisingly she was holding a mug of ale in her hand.

"Got a date with Mr. Tall, Dark and Grumpy?"

"How did you…?"

"I didn't. But you just told me," Cana said, poking her tongue out. "I saw him walk in, and I saw you run out. Wasn't too difficult."

Levy flushed and stomped her foot. "Oh Cana! You're evil!"

The older girl gave a laugh and clapped her on the back. "So ya got a date. Whatcha both doin'?"

Levy pushed a strand of blue hair behind her ear. "We're going to watch the parade."

"That's cute," her friend said. "It's about time you both did something. It's been pretty obvious that you two like each other."

"Has it really…?"

"Yeah. Practically everyone in the guild knows," Cana said with a booming laugh. "Except for Droy and Jet…those two cannot take a hint."

Levy frowned. "Hint…?"

Cana shook it off. "Nevermind. When are you meeting Grumpy Gajeel?"

"8:00," Levy beamed. "I just have to drop a book off to Lucy before the parade."

"Book? Is she almost done writing hers?" Cana asked. There were only a select few in Magnolia that knew Lucy was a writer. She had been slaving away on some adventure romance novel for years, and finally she was getting close to ending it.

Levy nodded. "Almost. A couple more chapters and she'll be done."

"Good for her!" and the smile didn't drop from Cana's face when she added, "And good for you." Cana patted Levy on the head, almost mocking the way Gajeel often did, and continued on her way into the guild building.

Levy stood there for a moment watching her leave. _Was I truly so obvious that I liked him…?_ she wondered to herself. She had thought nobody had noticed that she talked more to him in recent months, that she often ran him lunch when he was off training in the gym, that she always asked about how he was doing—

"Oh god, it was obvious!" she gasped out loud, covering her face with her hands to conceal her flushed face.

_I have a date with Gajeel…_

She slowly lowered her hands as she ran the sentence through her mind again and again. It didn't seem real to her. How long had she wanted this? How long had it been since she had been admiring him from afar? Levy wanted to tell herself not to get too emotionally involved—afterall, it was just a date and neither of them had confessed feelings yet. But she couldn't help but feel light as a feather with a goofy grin on her face as she made her way back to her home. She didn't need to know that Gajeel had left the guild not too long after she had and had seen the whole scene…


	2. Date Night

Author's notes: Welcome to chapter two! Wooooo! Sorry if any of you got spammed by my posting of chapter one. I couldn't for the life of me get it formatted straight once it was online. Anyway, here we have chapter 2 where the plot actually starts up…I'm hoping I didn't make Gajeel too OOC for anyone's liking…Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Gajeel woke a little before 7:15 to Pantherlily hitting him in the face with his tail.

"What the hell…?" Gajeel groaned.

Pantherlily didn't stop. "You're going to be late for your date at this rate."

At the mention of his date with Levy, Gajeel bolted upright and stumbled out of bed with an irritated groan. "I've been asleep all day…"

"And evening."

He stripped out of his clothes on the way into the bathroom. With the flick of a couple knobs Gajeel was stepping into a hot shower. A hot shower always felt good after a mission, no matter the difficulty. It was a ritual that he went through even when he was part of his old guild. Outside of the door he heard Pantherlily talking to him.

"I hope you're not planning on meeting her in your _normal_ outfit." The exceed was picking up the scattered articles of clothing and looking them over. Sniffing the shirt made him nearly drop it out of disgust. He discarded it into the wicker hamper.

Gajeel began lathering himself with soap. "What do you mean? What's wrong with what I wear?"

"Nothing…as long as she doesn't mind mud, blood and holes."

"Fine! I'll pick out something else!"

He let the water flow over him and through his hair. His mind didn't stay on his task for long. He wasn't one to get overly excited, especially over a girl, but he couldn't help the smile that tugged at his mouth whenever he thought of it. He felt foolish.

"What the hell should I wear then?" Gajeel shouted over the roar of the water.

Pantherlily was already thinking this over. Rummaging through the closet, he found Gajeel more or less had the same shirt, one for each day of the week. There were some suits packed away in the back that surprised him a bit, but this was a parade…not a fancy dinner date.

"I'm not dressing in anything real fancy!" Gajeel yelled from inside the shower. But after a couple moments he added, "Unless you think maybe I should?"

"No," was all Pantherlily replied. He was rubbing his paw over his chin, looking at the options. Too fancy and Levy might not even recognize him. Too informal and she might think he didn't care.

The water was shut off and Pantherlily could hear the blow-dryer being turned on. _What a noisy contraption…_he grumbled mentally.

A couple minutes later and Gajeel strode out of the steamy shower, towel around his waist and hair dry. His footsteps over to the closet were fast paced, Pantherlily noted, almost…

"Did you find anything?"

Frantic.

Pantherlily smiled to himself. Gajeel was worried. "I haven't decided yet."

Gajeel glanced over at the clock on the wall and gave a choked sort of noise._ It's already 7:32! Damn it. _

He whirled around and almost stepped on his exceed as he began looking through his closet muttering "clothes, clothes, clothes" under his breath like a mantra. Pantherlily sat down on the floor beside him and watched him frantically look through his clothes. He had never seen his friend quite so wound tight; did he truly want to impress this girl so much? Or was it something else.

"Have you ever been on a date before Gajeel?"

Gajeel stopped midway through pulling out a shirt. The silence was thick.

"You haven't," Pantherlily chuckled a little disbelievingly. "Is that why you're so nervous?"

The Dragon Slayer glared down at him. "I am _not_ nervous."

"Unclench your teeth and I may think otherwise."

Gajeel's hands slowly slipped from the shirt he was thinking about pulling off the hanger. His teeth slowly parted, clenched together again, and then gave way as he sighed heavily. Without grace he plopped to the ground beside Pantherlily, his gaze fixated on the ceiling.

"Alright," he snapped. "I've never been on one, happy?" Pantherlily eyed him curiously. Gajeel looked at his hands; they were large, sun kissed and scared. He squeezed them into fists. "I have to impress her, Cat. You don't understand."

"I understand perfectly," he countered. "You like her. It's natural for human men to-"

"No, it's more," Gajeel cut in sharply.

_I'm not the type that girls want to be around. _He thought to himself. _I fight constantly or else I get bored. All muscle, no brain. Sure, I'm strong, but when it comes down to it they'll just be afraid I might punch them out if they startle me or make me mad. It would be like walking on broken glass. Women want a man who they can talk with…And Levy, she…she's so smart-_

The exceed looked him over as he lost himself in thought. Tall, dark, strong, loyal…were those not traits human women found attractive?

"She's obviously attracted to you Gajeel," Pantherlily stated. "Why else would she want you to accompany her?"

He chuckled darkly. "I don't know. Maybe it's a God playing a cruel joke on me?"

Pantherlily frowned. He was not used to Gajeel being down on himself; he was usually quite sure of his abilities. _His feelings towards this girl must be quite strong if she can reduce him to this_, he thought to himself.

"The reason I'm so 'uptight'," Gajeel explained, "is because…"

_I know she has other men that like her. Hell, Droy and Jet will be shitting bricks when they learn she's out with me. I would be easy to replace. _

"Because?"

The dragon slayer leaned his head back, determined yet stuck in place. "I have to impress her.

_If I don't…she has other men to fill the void where I could be._

Pantherlily gave a chuckle and stood up. With a slight hop, he grabbed onto the bottom of a short sleeve white shirt and yanked it off the hanger and onto Gajeel's lap.

"Well you aren't going to impress her by being down on yourself, or by being late," his companion said. "Come on and get dressed. The lady is waiting."

The exceed threw a pair of black jeans at him, socks, a pair of boxers that Gajeel shrugged on with ease. As he was sitting on the edge of his bed, lacing up his boot, Pantherlily tossed him the final piece, a leather jacket that had been hanging next to the suits in the back of the closet. It had studs going across the tops portion of the breast pockets, and in Pantherlily's opinion it was something he thought Gajeel should wear more frequently.

"I haven't worn this in a while," Gajeel commented as he slid it on. He was a little surprised it still fit.

Gajeel's cat exposed his wings and circled the dragon slayer twice. "It looks good on you."

The compliment, as much as Gajeel didn't want to admit it, gave him confidence. He gave Pantherlily a pat on the head as a silent thank you. With a quick rummage around in his other pants pockets for his house keys and wallet, he bade his friend a good night and was out the front door.

The street in front of his apartment was already packed with citizens hoping to catch a good look of the parade. Venders were setting up on side streets selling Fairy Tail merchandise, food, balloons and flowers. Gajeel was about to go by one of the flower stands but then had a thought. One of the bouquets on display was of vibrant yellow flowers with big brown centers and big green leaves. Just looking at the six of them bunched together made him think of Levy and all her brightly colored clothes. He dug his wallet out and approached the elderly lady behind the cart.

"Excuse me," he said, his voice rougher and more demanding than he meant it to be, "how much are the yellow ones?"

She smiled at him. "You mean the sunflowers? For you, it's free."

Gajeel was confused. "Free?"

"I can tell," she chuckled, "you're part of the Fairy Tail guild. You're part of the reason why we have the parade every year. So the flowers are free."

The normally sour looking mage managed a small smile for the old lady and accepted the flowers she handed him, tied together by a small red ribbon. "Thank you."

"Good luck."

"Excuse me?"

The woman gave a small laugh, covering her mouth with her wrinkled hand. "With your date."

Gajeel felt his cheeks heat up. "Uh, thank you," he muttered before shuffling off through the crowd. He completely missed the woman commenting, "Nice jacket".

He wound through the crowded streets, trying to make a beeline for the guild. If he wasn't over six feet of muscle and leather, he couldn't have made it past so many people as quickly as he did; people parted out of the way for him whether they were in the way or not.

Gajeel arrived just outside the guild five minutes before 8:00. He edged his way over to the fence that divided Guild property from the sidewalk and road way, and pressed his back against it. With a scan of the crowd he could tell Levy wasn't there yet.

"All that rushing for nothing," he chuckled to himself.

Since he was early he was able to finally take in what was surrounding him. The same decorations from earlier in the day were hanging between the buildings, but now great pillars of balloons were looming over the sidewalk, swaying in the slight breeze. The aroma of caramel apples, cotton candy and other festival foods filled the air making it feel as though it were summer again. The night was cool, with a slight humidity that kept it comfortably warm. Kids raced around in excitement. Many of the kids were already talking about which mages they were looking forwards to seeing; it was interesting to Gajeel to note that it seemed dead even between wanting to see Gray's ice-make magic and Natsu's fire magic.

His mind began to wander from his surroundings back to its usual subject: Levy. She was like a pixie; small, cheerful, with large eyes and a round face. She had the habit of trying to be everywhere at once. Her footsteps were light and she seemed to almost float from shelf to shelf in the guild library looking for the right books. She had an intellect that was far above the majority of the guild and yet didn't affect her social skills. Levy had a way to make everyone feel at ease, never condescending…

_Not even to a block head like me._

Her smile was what lured Gajeel in, more than anything. She was always smiling. Whether it was sunny or raining, she always had a reason to smile.

_Perhaps she would forgive me for- _

He couldn't think about that. Not on a night like this. It would only drag down his mood and cause her to worry. But he still couldn't get those images from his mind. How could he have done that…? Pinning her to a tree with Droy and Jet…

He shook his head. _Not tonight!_ He told himself firmly.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, he glanced over at the clock, only to do a double take. _Five after eight…? Where is she?_ Gajeel looked around him. Not only were there no signs of Levy, a lot of the people that were crowding the sidewalks along the main street were beginning to mutter and stir uneasily. The parade had yet to start. _The parade is late too…?_

Something was knotting up in his gut. A feeling he often got when someone was about to happen—a dragon's instinct. His eyes swept the area about him a little anxiously. Levy hadn't shown up and the parade hadn't begun? Was the trouble within the guild?

Gajeel stepped away from the wall, and with flowers still in hand made his way away from the street and back towards the guild building. Upon pushing the doors back he was greeted with chaos. Fellow guild members were dashing every which way, many still in costume for the parade.

_Why is everyone-_

"Gajeel!"

Coming towards him was Erza Scarlet, one of the few people who weren't in costume. Following behind her was a teary eyed Lucy.

"What-"

"Have you seen Levy?" Erza asked. Her tone was sharp, the kind she reserved for barking orders at teammates during missions.

Gajeel's heart skipped a beat and his gut gave another twist. "No. I was supposed to meet her and she hasn't-"

Erza gave a "damn" underneath her breath and turned around to walk away, yelling for the Guild Master over the loud chaos around them.

"What's going on?" Gajeel demanded of Lucy. He tried and failed to keep his tone from sounding as frantic as he was suddenly feeling.

Lucy was still in her blue dress that she was set to perform her magic in on the parade. He eyes were red and puffy from crying, and she kept biting her lip to keep a new torrent of tears from beginning. She wrapped her arms close to her body as if that would stop her from shaking.

"She's gone," she said. At the declaration she began to sob in front of him. "Levy's gone!"


	3. Hell Hath No Fury

Author's notes: Hellooooo dear reader! And welcome to chapter 3! This one is a little shorter than the others. I'm trying to keep the updates coming, but with the end of the semester it's getting difficult to write as frequently. And sometimes it's hard to take everyone's favorite character and abduct her before the much anticipated first date…

Fun fact! I was actually thinking about having her kidnapped _during_ the date, but I could not think of a scenario where Gajeel would leave her long enough where someone would get her…or where he couldn't just beat the shit out of the person kidnapping her. *shrugs* He's such a man 3

*cough* anyway. Enjoy~

* * *

The flowers that Gajeel had been holding slipped from his hand as his fingers gave way. They hit the hardwood flower of the guild with a soft rustle, some petals scattering and a few of the seeds popping out of place. Gajeel hardly noticed. His eyes were boring into Lucy with disbelief and rage. His gut gave another firm twist as if he needed confirmation that he had felt something was wrong.

"What do you mean gone?!" Gajeel thundered. He brought the entire bustling room to a silent halt.

Lucy flinched and took a step back out of fear of the Dragon Slayer's rage. His eyes were wide and seemed to burn holes through her. His fingers were pulled tight into fists, teeth bared like a beast. He had never seemed so fearsome, not even when he was with the dark guild.

"S-She n-never showed up at m-my house," Lucy managed in a meek voice. Slowly she saw a bit of the tension ease from his shoulders and mouth and she felt it was safe to continue. Nobody else in the room spoke as she went on. "I got worried because Levy's never been late before and she knows where I live. I hadn't gotten a call from her either."

Gajeel listened quietly. He felt as though his veins were on fire with need to go find her. To completely obliterate the _creature_ that dared to touch her with his _filthy_ hands. The rage bubbling just beneath his increasingly stoic exterior was threatening to reach its peak. Yet he continued to listen…

Lucy was still trembling a little. She understood how close he was to lashing out. "So I stopped by her apartment seeing as how I had time before the parade…But…it was…."

"It was what?" he growled out in a low tremble.

Tears sprang from Lucy's eyes once more and in a painful whisper she said, "It…had been ransacked."

The Dragon Slayer's eyes went wide. "Ransacked?"

"Her room was a mess. I saw it myself."

From behind Lucy and to her left came Gray, and like Lucy he was wearing his parade outfit; a prince's garb with a trailing high collar cape and shoulder plates that gleamed silver.

"When Lucy saw Levy's apartment she came and found me," the ice-make mage explained. "We've been under the assumption that someone went to her apartment looking either for something she owned, or her herself. We don't know if she was home or not because we immediately left to inform Master Makarov that she was…"

"What could she have that would be of value to anyone?" Gajeel asked angrily.

"Some of her books are worth a lot of money." This time it was Cana who approached from another part of the building. She had changed out of her parade clothes and had been looking in some nearby buildings for Levy.

Gray shook his head, "The place was a mess, but if they were after money, why kidnap Levy?"

"Who cares about why!?" The rage was pouring over. "I wanna know who the hell _stole _her!" Gajeel yelled.

There was silence. Nobody knew the answer for that. Levy wasn't a powerful fighter. She didn't have enemies. She was a quiet, happy mage that enjoyed reading books. Levy didn't come from a rich or powerful family; her parents were both dead, so she couldn't have been in trouble with them. The air in the guild was thick with confusion, sadness and seething rage.

"Enough."

From the back of the room came the soft sound of footsteps. The master of the guild, Makarov Dreyar, approached the small group just within the doorway of the guild, with Erza right on his heels. He wore an unreadable face and his hands were folded behind his back. He came to a stop before Gajeel, as did Erza.

"Why Levy McGarden was taken from us is not of dire importance," the old man explained. "Her location is. We know not of who took her or for what purpose, but it must be foul to stoop to such levels as kidnaping a sweet young woman so beloved by all." His eyes scanned the room around him. Makarov jumped up onto a nearby table, drawing everyone's attention. "More than anything, we must find Levy. She is a part of this guild and part of our family!"

His words acted as the beginnings of a battle cry, one that resonated with each of the guild members in the room and had them nodding.

"Not only is kidnapping _anyone_ a deplorable act, let alone someone so pure," he continued, "but whoever took her has made a direct offense to Fairy Tail!"

A chorus of yells raised in unison and fists pumped into the air.

Makarov looked around the room, eyeing people individually and punctuated all his words with jabs with his finger. "We as a guild must find Levy! And bring to justice those responsible for her abduction! Go forth! Comb the city for clue of her whereabouts!"

Gajeel and the others stepped aside as the rest of the guild members flooded out the front doors, each determined to find Levy somewhere within Magnolia. Makarov sighed wearily and hopped down from the table.

"Cana, I would like you to stay here and watch the Guild while everyone is out," Makarov said. "Erza, if you could patrol the city…I'm worried of further attacks to our guild and of our fellow guild mates getting themselves into trouble looking for her."

Erza nodded and fled after the large group that had just left. The guild master's eyes swept to Gajeel, Gray and Lucy. "I want you three to comb over her apartment. Maybe there's something there…"

"A clue," Lucy said hopefully, her arms tightening around her.

Gajeel was already turning around to storm out the door when Makarov called out to him. "Gajeel!"

The Iron Dragon Slayer stopped with his hand on the knob.

"Remember your temper."

Without a word Gajeel nearly ripped the door off the hinges and stormed out with Lucy and Gray hot on his heels. The guild master stayed behind with a sigh.

"It's a shame that humans only realize what's important to them when they're gone."


	4. The First 24

Author's notes: Greetings again! Chapter 4 is finally here~ Thanks again for reading =) Also, thank you for all the favs and reviews! I take each of them into consideration when writing the next chapter. So keep them coming! As for upcoming chapters, I'll try to keep them coming regularly—but no promises!

Note 1: I'm pretty sure in the anime/manga Levy lives in dorms? The same one as Wendy right? For the sake of this fic it was just easier to have her in an apartment.

Note 2: The truck is styled after the American way of driving…

* * *

Her eyes fluttered open slowly.

"Ugh."

Levy's head was still spinning slightly. There was a chemical taste in her mouth, her skin was chilled, battered and beaten from the break in at her apartment. She coughed in a vain attempted to get the taste and blood from her mouth. Little by little her eyes adjusted to the darkness although one was a little harder to open than the other; one of the goons had knocked her in the face. Levy went to move some hair from her face since somewhere in the scuffle she had lost her headband, but when she went to push it back she found her arms bound together behind her. The mage threw back her head and groaned in frustration and pain when her head hit up against a metal wall. Much to her surprise when she focused long enough she could hear the hum of a motor.

_I'm in a…truck?_

She was sitting in the back of a rather large truck. Around her were cardboard boxes with different labels on them. _Supplies_, Levy realized quickly. _Where am I going?_

"Aye, look! The princess is awake!" came a male voice from the front of the truck.

Directly in front of Levy was a barred door with a window, one that let the only source of light into the back. Briefly she saw the face of a male turning around in the seat he was in on the other side of the door before he turned back around. His accent though threw her for a loop.

_He's not from around here_. _And he sounds….young?_

"Don't talk to her," came another male voice. It was more chilled then the first, detached and a little deeper. This one lacked the strange accent.

"Aw, why not? It won't hurt anything."

"The boss didn't authorize talking to the prisoner," growled the second voice.

"Such a suck up…"

Levy didn't say a word. Obviously these two men had kidnapped her. But for what purpose? Had she been taken to hang over the head of the guild for a ransom? _No. They have supplies in these boxes…_she reasoned. They had roughed her up in her apartment, but hadn't killed her; obviously they needed her alive for whatever they were trying to achieve. But just what was that? Why did they pick her of all people? _Was I just an easy target…?_ She struggled against her restrains, hoping to get her hands free in order to use her magic, but the plastic ties that bound her hands together wouldn't budge. _Obviously they know I use magic. That's why they probably restrained me._ Her shoulders slumped and she gave a defeated sigh. _I'm powerless._

"Aye, aren't you gonna say somethin'?" the first male said, directing his question at Levy. Levy glared straightforward through the window. She remained silent. "Maybe we knocked her too hard?" he reasoned.

His partner sighed. "She's obviously choosing not to talk to you, you moron."

"Eh, whatever," the first said. Levy could almost hear the shrug of his shoulders in his tone. "We'll be _home_ soon enough. Then she'll _have _to talk."

_I don't like the sounds of that._

She sat back with a sigh. Her shoulders were beginning to hurt from having her arms pinned behind her, her legs hurt from having been folded for however long she had already been in the truck for, her throat was dry—making her wonder if she could talk at all, and her head seemed to spin every so often from what Levy assumed was her injuries from when the two goons fought with her in her apartment. The truck occupants lapsed back into silence except for the constant hum and occasional groan of the truck's engine. Their travel had lasted a while by Levy's estimate and judging by the now almost constant bumps, she assumed that they were far away from Magnolia and heading into the countryside if they weren't already in it. One particularly hard bump sent her surging forward and with no arms to catch her Levy fell completely flat on her face.

"Ouch…"

She rolled onto her side and with a bit of effort was able to right herself, only to be thrown off balance by bigger bumps in odd intervals. _We must be heading into rocky terrain_, she reasoned irritably as she sat back up for possibly the tenth time. _But where does that mean we are…? Magnolia is surrounded by fields. _The only possibility that she could come up with was that she had been unconscious longer than she thought and they were heading into the mountains. But of which country? Fiore's two neighbors, Seven and Bosco both had small mountain chains, and Bosco had more mountains than flat land. _I could be in either one_.

Even if she could find out where she was, the mere knowledge of her location would do her no good. She was miles away from home, in the back of a truck driven by two men who had already proved they could over power her and her hands were elsewise occupied and of no use. The bookworm had read of characters and historical figures that had also been kidnapped, but none of what she could recall from their books and memoirs did her any good. Not at the moment anyway. Her situation didn't seem dire at the moment, but who could tell how long she would be required alive for? _I'll have to wait until we get to…wherever it is we're going. I can think of a plan once I have all the answers. I have to just stay calm…_

Stay calm however was more difficult as time wore on. The condition of the road seemed to deteriorate into nothing but bumps, making it hard for her to stay still. She had been knocked over so many times it was frustrating and the fact that the kidnapper with the strange accent began to laugh each time she was slid around irritated her to the point of tears. _No, don't cry,_ she told herself firmly_, If they see you cry they'll know you're weak_. But it was more difficult than she thought.

Despite the fact that she had what some would call an exciting day, Levy found herself bored out of her skull. She had read the labels on each of the boxes closest to her-clothes, food, fuel, texts and some others- but the lack of light made it impossible to read others. The lighting had also dimmed throughout her time in the car until finally she was cast into near darkness when night finally fell. This gave Levy her first real feeling of time. _I've been gone for at least twenty four hours._

Her mind wandered back to the guild. _I hope they realize I'm gone. Poor Gajeel. I hope he realized I didn't just stand him up…Of course this would happen on the night we have our first date!_

She brought her knees up close to her. By then she had wedged herself in between two supply boxes to avoid getting knocked to the ground anymore. She rested her head on the corner of one of the boxes and sighed. _Perhaps it's an omen that we weren't meant to…_

The truck suddenly lurched to a stop. Levy bolt into an upright position and listened. She could hear the truck doors slamming and the sound of feet on the ground outside as they came around the back of the truck. There was a couple metal bangs before suddenly moonlight came pouring into the back of the truck. Two men, presumably the ones that had kidnapped her, stood in the doorway, but because of the moonlight behind them, all Levy could make out were silhouettes. The shorter of the two hopped up into the back of the truck and strode towards her. Without so much as a warning, he reached down, grabbing one of her elbows and pulled her up so she could stand. He dragged her toward the door before stepping down off the back of the truck and then pulling her after him.

"Ouch! Watch it!" she protested. She was sure his grip was going to leave bruises, and the wounds they had already given her ached.

The taller man smacked the smaller man's hands off of Levy and gave him an icy glare. Now that Levy was out of the truck she was able to study her kidnappers. The one that had grabbed her was short, only about as tall as her and probably younger than her. His skin was tan with a couple scars crisscrossing it especially on his chin. His hair was black in the back and a dyed blonde in the front, and it was all over spikey not too unlike Loke's hair. His eyes were a mucky sort of green and brown that she was surprised she could see in the night.

His companion however looked completely different. His skin was rather pale as were his blue eyes. His eyes themselves were feminine in appearance with a slight curve to them and a sharpness that gave them the very definition of dagger eyes. His hair was long-trailing down to his lower back, black and appeared to be extremely silky. His face was stoic as if all of his emotions could only be expressed through his eyes. Both wore black pants and shirts, but overtop the shirts they both wore knee length white coats that were buttoned up the front with large black buttons. The stoic one had a hood on his; the younger one lacked the hood but instead had a high collar that concealed most of his neck.

After smacking the shorter male's hand away, the stoic one turned and looked Levy over. "My apologies," he said, his voice being the one Levy dubbed the second man. "We were rougher with you than we should have been."

Levy glared at him but said nothing.

The man sighed. "But what could we do? We have our orders. But surely he will kill us if we hand you over in this condition."

He reached forward, placing his large hand over nearly her entire face. Levy's stomach lurched in fear, but before she could protest she felt warmth all over. Her skin was glowing a pale orange and the man's hand felt hot on her face. Before it got too hot however he removed his hand. Her skin stopped glowing and her skin began to rapidly cool.

"Y-You-"

The stoic one maintained his expressionless façade. "So you can speak. Good. I was beginning to worry we damaged your vocal cords. I suppose it's good we didn't damage you…too much." His friend snickered a bit but was silenced with a deadly glare. "As you can see, we are mages as well."

The younger male was grinning in a way that set Levy on edge. "Setsuka here does all that white mage bullshit. Me, I can make any part of my body turn to lead. One hit and bam! You're out."

"Along with your brain Damien," the one named Setsuka added sharply. Then he turned his attention to Levy. "The point being, don't think you can overpower us, or get a jump on us just because you are a mage. Everyone here is."

"Here…?"

Levy finally looked away from the duo to survey her surroundings. The truck had parked itself on a makeshift gravel driveway that wound back down the hill they had come up and disappeared into the thick green conifer forest that surrounded them. As far as the eye could see was nothing but trees. However, on the other side of the hill in the direction the truck was going, there was a winding path down the side and into a valley that was devoid of trees. It was an area completely stripped of vegetation; there was only the brown of turned up dirt. Spotlights had been set up in various locations and Levy could see people under the lights excavating with picks and shovels. There were two buildings down in the dust bowl, neither one stable but rather ones that had been thrown up to store equipment in. Levy could just barely make out the stonework of other buildings set back in the forest.

"W-What are you all doing?" Levy asked boldly.

Setsuka arched a brow. "I'm surprised that's your first question. As for an answer, you'll be briefed soon enough. Right now, we have to show you your lodgings-"

"My _lodgings_ are back in Magnolia!" she yelled angrily.

Setsuka ignored her. Two others who were dressed the same as Damien and Setsuka approached and saluted them before trotting over to unload the boxes from the back of the truck. Neither paid any mind to the newcomers. "You're also going to have to change out of those clothes. He'll be upset if his first meeting with you is anything less than satisfactory," he told her.

Setsuka started off down the path to the excavation site and when Levy didn't immediately follow Damien gave her a rough nudge. Levy stumbled after him with Damien uncomfortably close behind her. As she followed, she continued to stare out at the people all digging deeper and deeper into the ground. They already had a sizeable hole and she could see the tops of large flat rocks beginning to poke out of the deepest parts.

"Who is…_'he'_?" she asked. That wasn't the first time either of her captors had referred to some other person.

He heard Damien chuckle behind her and it made every hair on her arms and neck stand on edge. But again, Setsuka was the one who spoke. "You'll see."


	5. An Order to Her Madness

Author's notes: And chapter 5 is a go! I'm surprised at how many of you are begging for updates! I promise that I'll keep updating, but I'm warning you that they're not going to be consistent. I'm juggling my work and a summer class at college, so if the work load is light…more updates! If there's a lot for me to do….not as many. So don't worry if I don't update for a week or two…or several. I haven't forgotten. And for those who are sobbing over the latest chapter of Fairy Tail (I'm dying inside because my Gruvia ship is on fire), that there is none of THAT happen in here. (trying not to spoil). Anyway, enjoy.

* * *

Lucy led Gajeel and Gray through Magnolia to the apartment complex where Levy lived. Some of her neighbors were beginning to crowd around her broken door; it hung off the hinges in a way that made Lucy cringe. While Gray instructed the people to stay back while they investigate, Gajeel moved into the room with Lucy following behind him. What they saw however made both halt in their tracks. Lucy clapped her hands to her mouth to muffle the gasp, and Gajeel gritted his teeth together trying to manage the fury that was threatening to escape. Her apartment looked wrecked. Books were scattered across the floor, papers which had been on her desk were thrown about with abandon, her coffee table was broken in half, each drawer of her desk and cabinet in her kitchen were open with contents pouring out of them.

"Oh my god…"Lucy murmured as she looked around. There were hardly any books left on the numerous bookcases that covered each wall. She saw her kidnappers had even smashed a vase that had been sitting in the corner that had once contained beautiful lilies. Although she had been there earlier, Lucy hadn't really gotten a chance to look over the full extent of the damage. "Who would do this…?"

Gajeel remained furiously silent. They had defiled her _and _her home? He couldn't wait to find whoever had taken her. He wouldn't hold back. There was to be blood on his hands. Lucy seemed unable to move from in the main room, rooted in place by horror, so Gajeel pressed towards the kitchen area. Dirty dishes sat untouched in the sink and a plate with food on it had been broken on the floor. It was obvious that she hadn't been expecting them. He noted there was a kitchen knife that was protruding from the table; she had obviously tried to fight them. The hair on the back of his neck and arms stood on end as he pictured the scene: Levy standing the kitchen grabbing a bite before she would come to meet him, when suddenly the door is broken down by a big hulking man; she uses her magic and a knife to keep him at bay before he slugs her over the head, effectively knocking her unconscious before throwing her over his shoulder and leaving the apartment. Gajeel clenched his fist with rage and make a noise that was so low and menacing that Lucy glanced over to make sure he was okay.

Gray stepped into the apartment and upon seeing the state of it gave a low whistle. He too had been so focused on finding Levy the first time he was in the apartment that he had overlooked most of the scene. "Damn, what a mess."

"No kidding," Gajeel growled. "I'm going to _slaughter _them."

"We have to find them first," Gray pointed out. He circled around the broken coffee table, his eyes scanning the books on the floor. "Obviously we have signs of foul play…But is anything missing?"

Lucy glanced around before shaking her head. "It's hard to tell with everything being in a mess like it is."

"Why would anyone take her?" Gray questioned. "She didn't have anything overly valuable…"

"I wonder if they stole any of her books." Lucy wondered.

The ice mage glanced around with an arched brow. "How would we even figure that out? There's more books here than in a damn library!"

The trio stood thinking for a moment before Lucy gave a gasp. "Oh! I know!"

She trotted over to the now ransacked desk and fumbled around in the chaotic drawers. Gajeel and Gray moved closer to get a better look, neither having any idea what the celestial mage was looking for. After a minute or two of digging through a couple drawers, Lucy pulled a black and white composition book from the desk and began flipping through it with a slight smile.

Gajeel looked over her shoulder curiously. "What is that?"

Lucy clapped it shut and handed it to Gajeel. As he thumbed through it she explained. "It's a catalogue. Levy used to loan out her books all the time, so in order to keep track of what books she had she began writing down the titles and authors in this book."

The iron dragon slayer noted quickly that some of the books had been crossed out, with little notes scribbled in the margins in a neat but girly font. Most just included the dates that she got rid of them or when someone had lost them. But there was always a number in front of the book.

"What's with the numbers?" he asked. It certainly wasn't an ISBN number.

Lucy pointed at a nearby shelf. "All the shelves are numbered, see?" The one she was pointing to was marked on the side with the Roman numeral "III". "She gave the location of where each book was, mainly because she allowed me to borrow books when she was on missions. I would just let myself in, look up the book and location, and go."

Gray scratched his chin. "He she really is like a library. She also just made our job a whole lot easier. Now we can put the books back on the shelves and see if any are missing."

"Would someone really go through the trouble of kidnapping her just for a book?" Gajeel snorted as he handed the book back to Lucy. The whole idea seemed stupid to him, but then again, he wasn't someone who was fond of literature. Why read a page of words when a picture could sum up the point just as well?

Lucy nodded. "One of my first missions with Natsu was retrieving a book for a client that his father had written. So it wouldn't be too far out there."

The dragon slayer snorted. "I'm going to go look through the rest of the apartment. You two can have fun with the books…"

Leaving the two to sort through the books, Gajeel pressed further back into the apartment, past the kitchen and through another doorway. He ran his hand along the wall directly to the left of the doorway and after fumbling for a moment found the light switch. With a flick the room was illuminated, only to make Gajeel's heart crash in his chest. It was Levy's room.

Unlike the main room Levy's room hadn't been ransacked, leaving Gajeel to believe the kidnapper found what they wanted in the main room; whether that was Levy herself or another object he didn't know. Her room was neat and orderly and much like the rest of the apartment had books lining the walls. In addition to book shelves, Levy seemed to enjoy putting pictures of all her friends and team mates from the guild on her wall. Framed pictures were propped up on her dresser depicting her with Natsu, Lucy, Gray and Erza as they hung out around the guild. On the night stand by her bed, along with various lotions and a couple smaller books, was another framed picture. Gajeel assumed it was probably a picture of her and the other two morons from Shadow Gear, but when he looked a bit closer his heart skipped a beat.

_That's…me. _

It was a picture of Levy and himself the day they were setting out for the S Rank Mage trial. They were both standing on the barge waiting to board the boat that would take them to the island. Gajeel remembered it was Wendy who wanted the pictures of everyone and Levy had begged him to take a picture with her. She was smiling shyly at the camera flashing a peace sign while Gajeel stood slightly behind her and to the side, arms folded across his chest, eyes burning holes into the camera.

"_Would it kill you to smile?"_

He could still hear her voice ringing out in his head as they took the picture that hot sunny day. With a shaky sigh Gajeel found himself sitting on the corner of her bed. As he gazed around he felt as though he was becoming lost in everything that was that shrimp of a girl. Her smell permeated everything; even sitting down on the bed had filled his nostrils with her smell—a blend of vanilla, lavender and something that was completely 'Levy'. It was comforting to sit there; it was as if someone had wrapped a blanket around him after a rough mission. The room gave off a tender vibe, one that Gajeel hadn't encountered since becoming a mage. But the fact that the person who made the room such a comforting one had been kidnapped made reality come crashing back down in an instant.

_I need to find her._

"Maybe there's a clue back here," he said aloud, anything to get those thoughts out of his head. Actively doing something always got him out of his head.

As he scanned room, each object more painful to the last, he caught sight of something a little out of place. On her dresser was a leather bound book with a lock hanging off the side. _A diary?_ He wondered as he went over and picked it up. It surprised him that Levy would even keep such a thing. _I shouldn't…but what if it has something important in it?_ He shifted his metallic fingers into a fitting key and was just about to pick the lock when Lucy gave a triumphant shout from the other room.

"Gajeel! We found it!" Lucy exclaimed.

With a little bit of hesitation Gajeel stuffed Levy's diary into his coat before zipping it up. Upon walking out into the main room, he saw that all the books were back on their shelves. Lucy was looking at the catalogue, her finger just under the title of a book.

"So?"

Lucy sighed. "It looks like one of her books _is _missing."

"What's puzzling is why it's gone," Gray huffed.

"What book is it?"

"It's a rather old one," Lucy replied, "an original copy of _Those Who Slumber_."

"What's it about?" Gajeel asked.

Lucy shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not familiar with it. I'll have to go to the library and look it up, but she wrote in here "_old!_", so I'm going to guess it's worth some money."

Gajeel gritted his teeth. "So you're saying that they broke in here, broke off of her stuff, trashed her apartment, and god knows what else, _for a book_."

"It's just a guess," Lucy said as she clapped the catalogue shut.

"It's also our _only_ guess," Gray added. "Might as well report back to the Master. Maybe someone else found something around Magnolia."

As they filled out of the apartment, Lucy with the catalogue in hand and Gajeel struggling to keep Levy's diary concealed, Gray could only close the door slightly behind them. The ice-make mage informed the land lord of the kidnapping and asked her to watch Levy's apartment so nothing further would be stolen. The trio began their march back to the guild building, none of their hearts lifted in the slightest. Gajeel had been hoping for a better clue than a stole book; a letter from the kidnapper would have been ideal. But at least they had something to start with. Overhead the sky was dark as the night rolled on, unaware of the troubles of Fairy Tail. The decorations were still left out but by the looks of the people returning to their homes Gajeel assumed they had been told Fantasia had been cancelled.

"_Y-You should go with me t-then! It'll be fun!"_

The dragon slayer's stomach gave a painful twist as he thought of her words to him. If only he had been there to protect her. Instead of letting himself delve into those thoughts, he kept his eyes on his feet and his mind on the torture he was bound to inflict on the one who took her.


	6. Headquarters

Author's note: Hiya everyone! I hope you all are enjoying my fic. I'm full of plot bunnies at the moment, but I hardly have anytime to write! Recently obtained a second job, so I'm working just about every day…plus I have a Spanish class 3 times a week. Despite the fact that the updates are bound to slow down a bit (more than a bit), I promise not to abandon you all! And now back to Levy…

The trio descended the large hill and ventured through the excavation site. The men who had been busy digging were just starting to stop and venture towards large open air tents that were set up closer to the tree line, dragging their tools behind them, their faces covered with sweat and dirt. Nobody batted an eyelash at Levy. Levy followed Setsuka beyond the tents and following a dirt path they progressed into the forest. Along the way they passed by other men who were in similar outfits to her kidnappers. These men eyed Levy with suspicion and interest, but not a word was said.

The conifer forest that they were walking deeper and deeper into was dark. The trees were packed tightly together, but an effort had been made to cut away the trees closest to the path to allow sunlight down to illuminate the walkway. It was still rather dark despite the effort. Levy had to keep her eyes on Setsuka's back to keep from getting lost. She thought about dashing off into the woods once or twice as they walked, but she knew she wouldn't get far; not only was it too dark to safely run any distance without tripping, but Levy could hear howls in the distance and menacing growls not too far off into the brush that made her think otherwise. For now it was better to stay with these people.

_Until I come up with a plan that is,_ Levy thought sourly.

As if he could read her mind, Damien poked her in the back. "Don't even think about running off. Cuz we'll let you run."

Levy half turned her head to shoot him a confused look.

"There are things out there that would do worse to you than we would," he elaborated, only to confirm her suspicions.

They continued walking a little further along the dark path until lights came into view just ahead. A large stone fortress stood before them, the highest point being the top of a tower only about a story taller than the tree line. As with the pathway, the pine trees that had been close to the building had been chopped down, the lumber piled in a heap along the wall. The building was something between a fortress and a castle; it was made entirely of stone with multiple levels, openings in the sides that served as windows, slits in the stone big enough for an archer to shoot through, and a tower that rose up as the tallest part. Along the walls were crystals that emitted light were set in a metal holders. The crystals gave off a bright light that extended all the way to the tree line and a little bit further, but there was a high contrast between the area that was lit up and the area beyond which was pitch black darkness.

The pathway that the trio was walking on led right up to the two large front doors of the fortress. In front of these doors stood two men wearing identical outfits to Setsuka and Damien, but cradled in their arms they each had a magic rifle not too unlike the one that Bisca was fond of using. When Setsuka stepped into the light, both jolted to attention.

"Sirs!" they greeted with a salute.

The two armed guards stepped to the side, allowing Setsuka, Damian and Levy to enter into the entranceway of the stone fortress. The entryway was old, several of hundreds of years old by Levy's guess, but it was still spectacular. A large beam of silver moonlight spilled down from a deep crack in the roof and Levy could almost imagine an ancient artifact displayed in the light. The ground was made of large slabs of dark gray rocks with black and white flecks through them that glittered. Narrow windows decorated the side walls, allowing even more light to stream through during the day, but if Levy had to guess, the glass had been added far after the construction of the castle. Directly in front of the main entrance was a staircase that led to a higher level. Levy was prodded up the steps and down the hallway. There were several doors on each side, each made out of wood and like the glass, not part of the original design of the castle. A red carpet had been rolled down the length of the hall, matching the red banners the seemed to cover the walls. Levy didn't get a good look at them before she was forced down a hallway on the left. This hall was different. There was no carpet and only one iron door at the end of the hall. Something about the scene made a chill run down Levy's spine.

Upon arriving at the door, Setsuka forced it open and nodded towards Damien who then thrust Levy forward into the room. She stumbled and fell to her knees just inside the doorway.

"There are clothes lain out on the bed," Setsuka told her coldly as he removed her bindings. She immediately began rubbing her sore wrists; they were red and purple with bruises and rubbing wounds. "Get dressed. We'll be back in an hour to escort you to dinner."

"Get used to this place. It's your new home," Damien added with a chuckle.

The sound of the door latching filled the room. Deafening silence followed.

Levy continued to kneel, slowly rubbing her wrists. The realization she had been kidnapped only to be stored in a room in a castle slowly crept upon her followed by a surge of panic. The mage sprung to her feet and began banging on the metal door.

"Come back!" she yelled, her tone torn between angry and distressed. "You can't do this to me! You just wait!"

_Wait? Wait for what?_ She thought glumly as she backed away from the door, her hand slowly coming up to her chest. _A hero?_

Her brown eyes scanned her surroundings. There was a desk that lacked any paper or writing implements, a short dresser made of the same dark wood as the desk, a large wardrobe and a bed. There was a metal book shelf that sat up against the wall opposite the door, but Levy didn't see much of a point to it considering it was empty. Against the wall to the left of the bookcase there was a single bed. It looked comfortable enough at first glance; there were three white pillows fluffed at the top of it and a white sheet and a green comforter on top of a covered mattress. Lying on top of the bed was a long rust colored knee length dress that she supposed they expected her to wear to dinner. On the wall on the far side of the room away from the bed was a window. Because of the night she couldn't see much outside of the light given off by the crystals along the walls of fortress, but it looked like the pine forest stretched on forever like the dark sky above.

Turning away from the window she advanced towards the bed, studying the dress before her. It wasn't ugly to her by any means, in fact, she swore she had been looking at one just like it in the later parts of summer but she couldn't recall. It had a heart neckline and two straps to support the heavy material. Overall Levy didn't find it disagreeable, especially since the length came down to her knees. She held it up in front of her, wondering why they would give her such a thing. _Is their boss really so picky?_ _Then again…_With a look down at her own clothes she found them in a less than pleasing state; her yellow sundress was torn in a couple places, one of the straps was hanging on by a thread, the bandana that had once been holding her hair back was lost somewhere on the floor of her apartment, and the buckle of her sandal had broken off on their descent down into the excavation zone from the truck. _Maybe a change of clothes wouldn't be such a bad thing…_After all, Levy didn't want_ those_ _men_ to see anything indecent if the threads of her strap were to snap.

Hesitantly Levy removed her dress and shoes and slipped with ease into her new dress. Much to her surprise it seemed to fit perfectly. She twirled around in it for a moment. _How did they know my size?_ she wondered. She folded her own clothes nicely and left them on the end of the bed. With nothing better to do until her captors returned, Levy wandered back towards the window.

_Does anyone know I'm gone?_ Levy wondered sadly as she gazed out into the darkness. _Maybe Lucy realized since I never came over with the book. Or maybe she just went and participated in the parade. _

It didn't take long for her mind to wander to Gajeel. She had been getting ready for their first date when Damien had broken down her door. A fight had ensued where she had thrown a couple knives from the kitchen at him, but he easily overpowered her; they had made a mess of her apartment in the scuffle. It wasn't her fault she tried telling herself, surely he would understand. But when would she see him again? Did he realize she was gone? Was he looking for her? She rested her chin in her hand and leaded on the window ledge.

_What do they want from me anyway?_

Levy thought of his deep voice, his sun kissed skin, his dark eyes and mane of hair. How long had it been since she started to really notice him in a way that was a bit…abnormal for teammates? _Just before the S-rank mage trials…._she recalled. When he had first joined the guild she had been afraid of him, but who could blame her? He had pinned her to a tree after beating her up. She would never tell him, but she still had some scars from it on the side of her chest. He had never verbally apologized to her for that, but he more than it up to her by protecting her countless times in fights (and reaching things that she was too short to reach). The Iron Dragon Slayer made Levy's heart race just thinking about him, but being so far away in an unknown place, the thought of the man that she wished she could get closer to made her heart also ache. The night of the parade was going to be the night she was going to tell him she liked him and she had been planning it for weeks.

_And now I might never get the chance. _

At the moment her captivity seemed like it wouldn't end. They hadn't made demands yet, she had no idea where she was and then there were the supplies in the truck to think about; obviously this was an operation that didn't pop up overnight.

_I wish I had something to write with….and on! Then maybe I could keep my thoughts in order….and figure this mess out._

"_Keep close to me shrimp!"_

Levy drew her knees up close to her as she sat down on the bed. She didn't want to be here in this tower…she would rather be applauding her friends as they put on marvelous magical displays. Hell, there were a lot of things she would rather do. She flopped over on her side. The bed was more comfortable than she had first realized; she found herself getting lulled to sleep.

_I have an hour to spare…what could it hurt?_

It seemed like she had been sleeping forever when she was stirred awake by banging down in the hallway. Slowly Levy got out of bed and when the banging turned into angry yells she trotted towards the door. It had no window so she couldn't see beyond it. She could hear angry yells, screams for help and the bangs of the magic rifles being discharged.

"What's going on…?" she wondered aloud.

Heavy stomps could be heard storming towards her room so Levy cautiously backed towards the window. She didn't get far before the handle giggled and the lock gave a click. The door was kicked in. An angry Setsuka came striding in.

"What are you-"

Setsuka was upon her in only a couple strides. He slapped her across the face and while she was stunned he grabbed her arm.

"Let me go!" Levy yelped.

His eyes bore into hers and he looked like a man possessed, his usual cold demeanor gone in a wall of flames in his eyes. "You're coming with me," he growled.

"No-"

In the blink of an eye Setsuka was sent flying backwards into the wall. He slid to the ground with a thud not unlike a sack of potatoes being tossed. An iron bar stretched from the doorway to where Setsuka had been standing in front of her.

"Keep your hands off of her," came a low growl from the hallway. The iron receded.

Tears slowly crept into Levy's eyes as disbelief washed over her. "It can't…be…"

Stepping into the room was none other than her team mate, Gajeel. His coal colored hair trailed down his back, his hands were clenched into fists and he had a nasty snarl on his face that dissolved as soon has his dark eyes met Levy's.

"Levy…"

He approached her in a couple strides. She stared up at him with large watery eyes and he could only chuckle at her and stroke a lone finger across her now damp cheek. He frowned briefly when he saw the inflammation and redness from Setsuka's strike, but it was only a fleeting frown.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come quicker," he said quietly as she continued to look up at him. "Did they hurt you?"

"I-I just g-got here," she whimpered. "They haven't….they haven't…"

She began to ball, relief washing over her. Gajeel sighed and wrapped his arms around her. Her nose was filled with his scent and she drew comfort from his closeness.

"It's ok, I'm here now Shrimp," he told her gently.

"I lo-"

_Hey._

Levy made a face. What was that?

Gajeel looked down at her. "Did you say something?"

"Yeah…"she murmured. "I lov-"

_Wake up._

Wake…?

Levy awoke with a start. Setsuka was standing at the end of her bed, staring down at her with an air of indifference.

"Your dinner is ready," he stated blandly. "I'll be outside the door. Don't take forever."

The mage brought her hands up to cover her face. _It was all just a dream_, she thought, trying again not to cry. _I feel so…stupid._

She hugged her arms around herself with a sigh. There was a prickling on her arms; she could feel Gajeel's arms still encircling her. But he wasn't there. Hesitantly she picked herself off the bed and shuffled towards the doorway in her bare feet, her eyes downcast and her arms now folded across her chest. Setsuka raised an eyebrow at her lack of shoes.

"We'll have to get you another pair," he stated before progressing down the hallway, beckoning her to follow.

There was a moment where she debated turning around and hiding within the room. But at the moment her stomach was clenching with hunger and her captives were promising her food.

_I wish Gajeel was here_.

She trailed behind Setsuka for what she felt was going to be a continuation of an eventful day.


	7. Bjorn

A/n: Hi everyone! Welcome to the next chapter. Thank you all for continuing to follow this story and me! It gives me such an inspiration to write. This chapter is a little longer due to a lot of plot stuff. And there shall be just as much plot in the upcoming chapters. Hope you all enjoy!

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Deep within the fortress Levy was led. Hallway after hallway they turned down before they arrived at a set of double doors. Levy had long since forgotten the way back to the room she had first been thrown into; instead she had been focused on Setsuka's back as she wondered how long she would be kept like a bird in a cage.

Setsuka paused outside the door causing Levy to run into his back. He turned to address her.

"A word of advice," he said in a hushed tone, "do not talk back to him. He has a…short temper. Try to be agreeable."

Levy almost snorted. "_Agreeable. _You want me to be _agreeable_ after you _kidnapped_ me from my home?"

Setsuka remained stoic. "I was merely following my orders. I have been informed that you are to be released when your duties are complete."

This did little to make Levy feel better, especially considering she had yet to be told what those "duties" were.

Her captor pushed open the doors gently and motioned her inside. Within the doors there was a highly decorated rectangular room with a large oriental-like rug was laid out in the middle of the room; it was an ornate rug of a dark red with twists of gold through it and it stretched almost from wall to wall. On the walls hung more tapestries, along with the same crystals that were on the outer walls except these gave off a fainter, yellow glow. Sitting atop the rug was a long dining table constructed of a dark, smooth wood. There were chairs at either end of the table, positioned so they were facing each other, while all the other chairs that would have been at the table had been propped up against the wall. On the table were candelabras at either end and in the center that gave off a dim glow. Place mats that matched the rug sat before the chairs on the table, and already a meal had been arranged to view. There were plates of ham with slices of pineapple, bowls of assorted fruit that weren't in season such as oranges and peaches, and bowls of nuts and other platters of foods that she didn't quite recognize.

Setsuka guided her into the room and pulled out a chair for her. She awkwardly accepted and sat before an empty dining set; Setsuka and she were the only two in the room.

"He will be with you shortly."

And without another word he left the room, closing the door behind him. Levy sat awkwardly in the dimly lit room, her eyes wandering over all the food, half wondering if she should dare eat any; what if it was poisoned? But her stomach gave a grumble of protest at the thought. Fine china sat before her, all the utensils arranged in precisely as they should.

Then there was a creak as the door opened slowly. Her eyes immediately darted to the tall, broad shouldered figured that came striding into the room. He had a body type that reminded her of Laxus, dark brown hair that fell to his shoulders and eyes of a mucky green. Stubble ran along his chin and his upper neck but she could tell even with a quick glance that he had a narrow face and slightly noticeable cheek bones. His mouth was set sternly, his eyebrows were slanted in such a way that his facial expression was one of a business man who didn't want to reveal too much. In contrast to the pasty white skin Levy had, this man had tan skin, but it was difficult for her to tell if it was because he was outside a lot or if it was his natural look. He wore leather from the neck down in the form of light, but durable black armor that had a swirling design on the breast, boots and bracers. Flared out metal pauldrons that shown in the dim light sat on either shoulder; it looked as if he were ready for combat and he radiated authority. This was the boss.

The man entered the room without a word and approached his seat, however, instead of sitting down, his eyes swept towards Levy's before darting up and down surveying her.

"I'm pleased that I was able to talk them out of that horrid salmon color…" he said, his voice deep and mature. "That color suits you far better I would think."

Unsure how to approach him verbally, Levy remained silent. He then folded his arm diagonally across his chest and gave a short bow.

"I am Bjorn. Welcome to my fortress."

When she didn't say a word, Bjorn continued.

"My apologizes for having you arrive in such a manner." His tone seemed borderline compassionate, but Levy knew if given the chance he would have her kidnapped again. "But if you were given the chance, you wouldn't stay would you? No need to answer. I can see it in your eyes."

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked as Bjorn seated himself, trying her best to sound detached and not at all worried like she truly was. She also wanted to completely disregard that he was staring into her eyes as though he could read her soul.

Bjorn fluffed off her question. "You must be hungry. You haven't eaten for almost two days now." He added the last comment with a smile.

_Two days._ The words hit Levy hard. Was the rest of the guild looking for her at all? Did they realize she was gone? And if they did…why weren't they rescuing her?

Levy reached forward with her fork and stabbed some ham onto her plate along with some pineapple and other fruits. Bjorn relaxed into his seat at the opposite end of the table and did the same. Bjorn seemed civil enough; Levy had been expecting a rough brute of a man that was going to do unspeakable things to her.

_I must not let my guard waver_, she told herself. _He may look nice and inviting now…but wait, and I'm sure he'll turn into the beast he truly is. _

The two sat in relative silence. Both quietly stabbed at the meat on their plate and used table manners as if this wasn't what it was: a hostage situation. Levy observed that he didn't seem in a rush to demand anything of her, nor was he in a hurry to tell her much of anything. With Setsuka's warning in mind, she minded her tongue and kept quiet.

Abruptly he sat down his fork and knife with a clatter.

"I never served you a drink," he sighed.

Levy hadn't noticed. And even if she had, she wouldn't have said anything.

Bjorn pushed back his chair and stood, advancing towards her end of the table, picking up a wine bottle that had been closer to the center and bringing it with him. He uncorked the bottle with his right thumb and with his left hand he gently lifted Levy's wine glass to the bottle before pouring white wine into it.

"Thank you," she murmured.

To her surprise he smiled at her. It was a small one, barely noticeable if he would have been further from her, but it was there; it was a quick upward quirk of the corner of his mouth. But just as quickly as it appeared it was gone again and he was returning to his seat and placing a napkin back in his lap. Levy took a sip of the wine before deciding to question him again.

"Why did you have me brought here Bjorn?"

This time he answered. He gave a sigh, pushed his nearly empty plate away and looked up her with a thoughtful look.

"Fairy Tail is a famous guild. I've heard of them since I was young. They are known for their dedicated fighters and their brilliant minds. And that last part is what I sought."

Levy sat back, nursing her wine sip by sip as she listened.

"I needed someone who could decipher languages both recent and ancient, and someone who is familiar with runes. You fit both criteria, no?"

She remained silent. Bjorn continued.

Bjorn threaded his fingers together and rested his elbows on the table before him. "You know that this fortress is old. I saw you when you first came in, gazing around and ready to explore…if not for the circumstances."

"What does this-" she began, but he held up his hand to silence her.

"The fortress is not the oldest thing on these grounds," he stated. He slowly began to snare her; she was interested and leaning forward ready to hear more. "You saw that they were digging out front yes?"

Levy nodded. "I saw large flat stones starting to surface-"

"Those are buildings. Ancient buildings from the original people of this area. They lived hundreds-no, thousands of years ago. These people were skilled fighters and fearsome mages; much of our magic today is thought to have originated from them."

"Who were they?" she asked. Levy had read numerous books about the origins of magic, but each came to a different conclusion.

He leaned ever more forward. "The Runa."

"The Runa…" Levy spoke it again, sure it sounded familiar to her.

"They were very advanced for their time, hell, even by today's standards they could probably keep up fairly good," he said. He had a faraway look in his eye, the very same that Levy was developing as she imagined these people's settlements amongst the thick forests. "The Runa in their later years began to write down their stories and what-have-you. Way before other civilizations had even thought about writing or leaving their stone tools for metal ones."

Levy's face contorted for a moment before slipping back to normal. "So these…_Runa_, they were advanced, but obviously they've been gone for years," she stated, looking around at her surroundings with sudden suspicion. "What are your intentions with their…whatever you're digging up?"

"I was always interested by the ancient peoples who used and developed magic. After all, their toils are what allowed us to know what we know about our own magic. I ran across a text in my father's study when I was young. He had been an archaeologist and had found several books and treasures on his journey around the world." At the mention of his father Bjorn had a small smile on his lips, not a happy one, but one that to Levy looked mournful. "One always interested me. It was a small book, its cover was old and leathery and had once been a beautiful red color, but when I had seen it in my youth it was almost brown…the color of dried blood perhaps."

A chill ran down Levy's spine. His eyes were almost burning holes into hers. She gulped nervously.

"Inside on the yellowing pages was the ancient scrawl of a mage from the Runa people. Neither I nor my father knew what any of it meant; his-or her- writing used pictures along with what I could only describe as the beginnings of our modern alphabet."

Bjorn stood slowly and began pacing, his mind clouded with memories from his past; he could practically smell the musky old book smell mixing with ink swirling in the room and hear his father murmuring to himself as he leafed through the pages of the books littering his study. Levy watched him pace, her heart hammering in her chest.

"That was his life work," Bjorn boomed suddenly. "He spent countless hours, season after season _pouring_ over that book. It was a lengthy one despite its small dimensions."

"What was so interesting about this book?" Levy asked. To her, she couldn't tell if Bjorn loved this book or loathed it because of his father's attachment to it.

"My father couldn't read the majority of it, but from what he could gather was that it was talking about some temple that had been newly built in the center of their great village. The village itself was as big as one of our modern cities," he explained, "They built houses in between the trees and hills."

"A temple?" Levy echoed. "The whole text was about a temple?"

Bjorn wagged his finger at her. "Not just the structure itself, but the higher power it was dedicated to…and the legend of it."

He stopped pacing only to circle around the side of the table to where Levy was sitting. The man clad in armor leaned close and stared directly into her eyes once more. "I know you know what book I'm talking about."

The Fairy Tail mage quickly averted her eyes.

"You have it. I know you do."

"What are you-"

Suddenly Bjorn took a handful of her hair and jerked it back so she was staring directly into his eyes as he craned over her from behind her chair. Those eyes burned with anger.

"My father had been on assignment from a private company when he met his end," The grip on her hair tightened painfully. "He and his crew were down exploring an old crypt. He had taken the book with him because the crypt was thought of have ties to the Runa; there had been some similar runes on the outer walls that had shown up in the book. While he was down in the crypt there was some sort of _accident_. Everyone said that it was a tunnel collapse. The walls had been unstable and crumbled, killing everyone. That was the story."

Levy went pale.

His tone dropped. "But that's not what happened. Is it Levy?"

Levy couldn't speak. It felt as though there were a rock in her throat.

"There had been a lone survivor. A man who had been the assistant captain to my father…who miraculously survived."

Bjorn released his grip with a thrust. If Levy hadn't been bracing her palms on the edge of the table her face would have been in her food. Bjorn remained behind her but she didn't dare look back at him.

"_Somehow_ he made it out of that accursed place right before it collapsed. And _somehow_ he managed to save one of three journals my father had kept during that expedition…including that little Runa book." The accusatory tone was unmistakable. "He took it with him on his return home…and he never once looked back. When people questioned him 'how did you escape?', 'what happened?', _he_ never answered; it was always the company who answered or told him what to say. He lived the rest of his life agreeing like a _coward_ with what they said."

_That's not true._ Levy wanted to say it. She felt the words burning in her throat, clawing, wanting to come out. But she knew it wouldn't end well for her.

"He may have been able to fool the rest of the world, but I knew," Bjorn continued. "My father had sent me a letter written only two days prior to the collapse. I received it the same day I received the news of his death."

He moved from standing behind her chair to pacing to the Levy's left along the length of the table, his eyes downcast.

"In his letter he expressed excitement. They had uncovered part of a doorway that he believed let further into the crypt. What was more he said that there were identical runes that were contained within the Runa book he possessed. He figured there was some sort of a connection. A connection he must have uncovered before he…"

With a sigh he whirled around to face Levy again.

"I'm convinced that there was no collapse. If there was then everything would have been buried."

Levy finally had the nerve to speak. "Then what do you think killed your father?" she blurted out.

"We shall soon see."

Her face dropped. "Excuse me?"

Bjorn smiled in a cruel sort of way. "The crypt site isn't far from here. No more than a three, maybe four hour journey by foot. I've had men working to remove the large stones that are blocking the entrance and finally they've made a break through."

"Why would you want to go down there?" Levy asked in confusion. "Going back down there is not going to bring your father back! In fact it could kill you! What if they're another-"

"I will retrieve his other two journals," he stated. "I will confirm my suspicions on what really happened down there all those years ago…and I will become one step closer to uncovering the ruins just beneath our feet." Bjorn grabbed her chair and turned it so she was facing him and he was able to stand before her. He tilted her chin upwards, forcing her to look into his eyes once more. "And you, my dear, are to accompany me."

Fear and excitement bubbled in her chest. Excitement for being able to explore such an ancient structure, fear for the dangers she knew would be lurking.

"And how ironic it shall be…"

Bjorn trailed off as he walked away from her towards the door. He stopped with his fingers twisted around the handle, and threw a look over his broad shoulders.

"The daughter of the man who left my father to die shall be venturing down into the crypt her father so eagerly left."

With that as his final word, Bjorn left. The door closed with a bang behind him, leaving Levy sitting her chair, shaking. All he had said had been true. Levy's father had been an archaeologist who specialized in ancient runes and writing up until Levy was starting school. He had been with the same company for years and had enjoyed every minute of it, until the accident. After being the lone survivor to escape from an ancient tomb he had retired from archaeology. He wouldn't speak a word of what happen, he wouldn't read any more books, he wouldn't even look at pictures from other expeditions he had been on. Whatever happened in the crypt killed his passion for archaeology. He hadn't lived too many years after the incident. By the time Levy was entering middle school he was gone. He hadn't been sick, but he hadn't looked well either. Levy figured it must have had something to do with that tomb.

Now the opportunity to find out exactly what had caused her father to give up his passion was in front of her and she was a little more than scared.

The door re-opened and Setsuka stepped in. His face showed that he had heard every word of what Bjorn had said, but was he was choosing to put on a show as if he had no clue.

"Are you done eating?" he asked.

Levy nodded and stood when she was motioned to. Setsuka guided her from the room and began walking her back to what was to be her room.

"Bjorn has informed me that tomorrow morning you shall set out with us to that crypt," Setsuka said. The journey back through the halls to her room had passed in a blur as she lost herself in memories of her father. "I have supplied you with appropriate clothes for your day tomorrow, as well as for tonight. They are laid out on your bed."

"Thank you," Levy murmured as she walked into her room.

A man who had a magic rifle just like the guards posted outside came up behind Setsuka and gave a salute. Setsuka greeted him and the two exchanged words in hushed tones. Levy in the meantime was scoping out her clothes. Her new pjs took the form of a three-quarter-length mint green night gown; her clothes for the following day were a short sleeve black shirt and long khakis pants with several pockets. A blue bandanna sat on top of the pile.

Setsuka called to her from the doorway. "Go to bed. We will be getting you up in a few hours to go on the expedition with Bjorn," he stated. He turned to walk away but then stopped and without turning informed her, "Do not think of escaping during the night. We have a guard at your door. And I wouldn't suggest the window; it's a rather steep drop. May you sleep well."

And with that the door closed.

Despite having been knocked out for the better part of the day, Levy felt overwhelmed with exhaustion. She removed her clothes from the bed in favor of laying them on the desk for the time being, exchanged her dress for the nightgown and slid under the sheets. It wasn't home, but a bed was a bed. And with a stomach full of food she drifted off to a fitful sleep, filled with fears of what was contained within that tomb.


	8. I saw them!

A/N-Chapter 8, lets go! In here, I imagined Gajeel would live by himself (obviously with Pantherlily) but not in an apartment complex. Could you imagine being the people the live under him? The boots stomping on the floor would drive them nuts. Haha. And sorry I haven't been updating. I haven't forgotten you all, I promise! This chapter is a little short, but I suppose it's better than nothing?

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Morning light was coming in through the bedroom window in the form of beams. Silence permeated the house except for the light snoring of Pantherlily from where he rested on his back in his basket in the corner. Gajeel was lying under his sheets in a pair of pajama pants and a sleeveless shirt, and although he had been dressed for bed since last night, he hadn't fallen asleep even for a moment. His mind was racing despite his seemingly relaxed state his body was in.

Beside his bed on the night stand sat the book that he had taken from Levy's room. He had hid in within his clothes until he got home; he had even stood before Makarov with it on his person when they told the master their findings at Levy's apartment. When he had arrived home he had sat down on his bed and morphed his finger into a key so he could pop the lock. The lock had clicked open easily and he opened it, only to be confused at what he saw. The handwriting was neat, but definitely not a woman's writing. The lines curved slightly upward and looked like they were written in haste. Ink drawings could be found on nearly every page along with a couple relief rubbings of strange letters and symbols. Through some of the chicken-scratch he could make out dates at the top of each page; the years date the pages back over a decade prior.

"What the hell is this?" Gajeel had growled.

He flipped through the pages quickly, finding more of the same sort of writing. However, somewhere towards the back of the book something fluttered onto his lap. Picking it up he found it was an old photo. It was of six people, all standing a group, smiling at the camera. Two were men probably in their forties; both were wearing khakis, short sleeved shirts and wide brimmed hats with netting stapled around it that hung down in their faces. Each man had a younger woman standing beside them, and judging from their position and posture, Gajeel figured it was the men's wives. Beside the one dark haired woman was a young boy with dark eyes and hair and a huge grin on his face. He looked normal enough for a young boy. But when Gajeel looked to the other child his pace quickened. She had long blue hair and bright eyes that complimented a goofy grin. She wore a little yellow dress with pink ruffles on the sleeves and a pink head band in her hair.

It was Levy.

By assumption he figured that the man and woman beside her were her parents. But then who were the other two? Flipping over the photo he had hoped there would be a label, but there was no such thing.

Hours after discovering the photo it was propped up on his nightstand by the strange book, the image of a young happy Levy staring at him. He wondered if he should take the journal to someone who might be able to read the writing better than himself. Lucy popped into mind, but how could he explain his possession of the book without revealing he had taken it? Gajeel gave a tired sigh. He was exhausted but he knew sleep would not come especially since the sun was already up.

Lucy, Gray and himself had met with Makarov the night before and told him of their findings in the apartment. Lucy was supposed to be researching the book that was missing, but in the meantime there wasn't much more that could be done. Interviews were being conducted between the police and everyone in the guild plus people that Levy was known to come into contact with, but Gajeel doubted they would turn up much. Not being able to do anything to get to her was eating away at his nerves.

He didn't even know where to start. He had no idea who took her, why, or where they took her to. _If I knew just one of those things…I could get to her. _ He had to wait for Lucy to find something and it was killing him.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Pantherlily give a stretch and roll out of his basket. He slowly padded over to the bed and hopped on it.

"G'morning Gajeel," he mumbled while he rubbed at his eyes.

"Hey."

Pantherlily gave him a once over before sighing. "Didn't sleep huh?"

The dragon slayer snorted. "How could I?"

The Exceed was going to comment about how they were going to find her no matter what when he heard something outside their townhouse. "Someone is here."

As if on cue, someone began yelling in front of the house accompanied by pounding on the front door. Gajeel strained his ears, his hearing enhanced by his dragon magic.

"Gajeel! Open up!"

Without bothering to change out of his clothes, Gajeel leapt from the bed and rushed down the steps to the front door. The yelling continued until he flung the front door open. On his front step was Natsu. Happy was cradled in his arms, both were panting wildly.

"Natsu? What are you-"

"We saw it," he panted. "We saw where they took her…but Happy…"

Gajeel glanced down at the Exceed in Natsu's arms. He was panting with over excursion, sweat dripped from him and it looked as though he might pass out at any moment. The Iron Dragon Slayer pushed his door open wider, allowing the Salamander entrance. Gajeel showed him the way to the kitchen sink, plugged it, filled it with cold water and allowed Happy to slip into it in order to cool him down. It wasn't long before his erratic panting had been reduced. The host brought out glasses of water for the two of them; they were emptied within seconds.

"What did you two do?" Gajeel asked.

As Happy busied himself with swimming around in the sink, Natsu wiped some sweat from his brow and replied. "We were flying around looking for anything suspicious when we saw this van peeling out of town. It was going pretty fast. So we started following it."

"Which way?"

Natsu paused to think. "I think we were heading north-east. We headed into mountains, I know that much. With lots of pine trees."

"And?"

Natsu explained that Happy and himself remained hidden the entire flight, trailing behind the truck, ducking behind large rocks and trees at intervals. The followed for hours, battling through their desire to stop and eat. They had one reprieve when the passenger of the truck needed to relieve himself, but it was no more than a couple minutes.

"They're pretty far in the mountains," Natsu told Gajeel. "The truck stopped at some sort of excavation site of some sort. It was night when we got there, so nobody was out, but it looks like there's a lot of people stationed there. And there's a castle."

Pantherlily who had since wandered in with some more water cut in. "A castle? In the middle of the mountains?"

Natsu nodded. "I thought it was weird too. I was hoping Lucy might know something about it. But I don't know if the castle itself is actually important. It looked like the people just…moved in for convenience."

"It doesn't matter what they're doing!" Gajeel glared at the Salamander, his eyes heated, fists clenched. "If we know where they took her, we can just go in and take her back!"

"Aye!" Happy agreed readily.

Pantherlily shook his head. "We can't just blindly go in there, Gajeel. It could prove disastrous-"

"She's in there. _By herself. _They could be doing….they might-!" Gajeel didn't have the heart to continue the train of thought.

"Let's go to the Master." Pantherlily was already fetching a towel for Happy to dry himself on. "Maybe Lucy found something about that book that was missing."

Natsu cocked his head to the side. "Missing book?"

"You missed a lot," Gajeel sighed. He had to think for a moment when the last time he had seen Natsu during the incident had been. "I'll catch you up on the way."


End file.
